NASA's Parker Solar Probe Makes Historic Close Approach to the Sun

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history by surviving the closest-ever approach to the Sun, passing just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the solar surface on Christmas Eve.

 During this remarkable feat, the probe endured scorching temperatures of 1,400°C and intense radiation that posed significant risks to its onboard electronics.

To put this distance into perspective, Dr. Nicola Fox from NASA explained, "We are 93 million miles away from the Sun, so if I put the Sun and the Earth one meter apart, Parker Solar Probe is 4 cm from the Sun—that’s close."

The probe achieved speeds exceeding 430,000 mph, making it the fastest human-made object to date. This is akin to flying from London to New York in less than 30 seconds